Victor Trevino
Former Harris County Precinct 6 constable Victor Trevino, who pleaded guilty in a public corruption case this month, was sentenced on Monday to 10 years of probation – avoiding incarceration for his criminal activity and capping a 40-year law enforcement career by becoming a felon.
He faced a maximum of 10 years in prison.
Trevino, 62, also was fined $1,000 and ordered to perform 150 hours of community service. Prosecutors and the former constable’s defense team were working to determine a restitution figure.
Before 185th District Criminal Court Judge Susan Brown handed down the sentence, Trevino testified: “I pleaded guilty because I am guilty.”
He said that his admission to a single count of misapplication of fiduciary property, a third-degree felony, was associated with his lack of oversight as the president of CARE, a charity he founded a few years after he was elected constable in 1988.
When asked by prosecutor Bill Moore if he used his position of trust as a public servant and his leadership of the nonprofit for personal gain, Trevino said no, but expressed regret that his actions had caused “suspicion” and “confusion.”
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The three-hour sentencing hearing on Monday included testimony from Harris County District Attorney’s Office fraud examiner George Jordan. He detailed Trevino’s wrongdoing by connecting cashed CARE checks to deposits in Trevino’s personal bank accounts that were closely timed to the constable’s trips to casinos and lottery ticket purchases. The fraud examiner’s testimony also noted the lack of additions to the nonprofit’s account in the weeks before and after certain fundraising events. The analysis showed at least $124,000 in cash deposits to Trevino or his wife’s personal accounts from 2008 to 2011.
The investigation led the fraud examiner to a surprising conclusion about a veteran lawman whose annual household income exceeded $200,000: “He appeared to not be as financially stable as I expected.”
See here, here, and here for the background. As noted, Trevino avoids jail time but did not get deferred adjudication as he sought, and thus will have a felony conviction on his record. Commissioners Court will appoint an interim Constable on Tuesday – or possibly sooner – after they finish canvassing the election results. Several former employees of Precinct 6 who were terminated for various reasons are talking about bringing legal action over their terminations now, so the effect of this case could linger for awhile. All in all, a disgraceful ending to what had once been a distinguished career. Hair Balls has more.